Over 24,000 children are slated to be covered annually by the pneumococcal conjugate vaccination (PCV) programme in the district. Earlier, Collector S. Dhivyadarshini inaugurated the PCV programme at the Paaparapatty Primary Health Centre on Friday.
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Inaugurating the programme, the Collector said, pneumococcal bacterial pneumonia is a fatal infection in children under two years of age. To prevent the infection that spreads through the air from cough and sneeze, the pneumococcal conjugate vaccine has been brought under the National Vaccination Programme.
The vaccine is administered in the 6th week, 14th week, and a booster shot in the 9th month for children. The vaccine is administered to children in all government medical college hospitals, government hospitals and taluk hospitals, primary health centres, and angawadis.
Parents are urged to get their children vaccinated with PCV. The programme commenced in the State on July 13.
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Infants and children to be administered pneumococcal conjugate vaccine
Staff Reporter adds from Erode: The PCV drive began in the district on Friday.
Collector H. Krishnanunni inaugurated the programme in the presence of Corporation Commissioner M. Elangovan, Deputy Director of Health Services S. Soundammal and City Health Officer P. Murali Shankar.
Health officials said that the new vaccine that was introduced recently would benefit malnourished and pre-term babies and also infants whose birth weight is less than 1.5 kg. “The vaccine protects the children from pneumonia and brain fever”, they added.
Under the Universal Immunisation Programme, children were administered the vaccine across the country.